Biting Toddlers

Published October 13th, 2008

Â Â Â Jessica Statkiewicz admits, sometimes, her 2-year old son Mason can be a handful, but it's his most recent behavior that is especially frustrating.Â He randomly bites. She says he bites when he's mad, he bites after kicking and hitting sometimes, he just walks up and bites.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, biting is common during the toddler years, affecting one in ten children.Â Usually under a year, kids are biting because of teething or oral experimentation.Â But doctors say usually when you get into the toddler range from about 1 to 3 it usually happens when children are frustrated, angry or sometimes even excited.Â

Â Â Â Pediatrician Peter Greenspan tells moms and dads to speak firmly to their child, telling him that biting is not allowed.Â He says using words is important, because it sends a message to the child that language is the medium through which we communicate.Â Greenspan says time outs are also effective.Â He suggests if the problem lasts beyond the age of 3, the child may need to be seen by a health professional.Â